Shawn Levy’s third film in the Deadpool series opens with Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) in a wild fight, but before audiences can get their bearings, it’s already landing two jabs at Disney for acquiring 20th Century Fox: one at Reynolds’ wife Blake Lively’s Gossip Girl performance and another at audiences for expecting Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to show up so early in the story. This scene sets the self-referential tone for the rest of the film.

Deadpool and Wolverine is exactly what the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) needed – a fast-paced, action-packed film with a gripping and well-paced storyline, wacky comedy, and thrilling fight scenes with convincing special effects. It’s a refreshing highlight of Marvel’s new era and reminiscent of their golden age classics.

As expected, the team of powerhouses Reynolds and Jackman delivered an outstanding performance together. Since their first appearance in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” in 2009, the actors have perfected their respective characters.

Even in a third installment, Reynolds hasn’t exhausted his comedic arsenal. The “meta” jokes weren’t overused and held their value, and he definitely made the most of the raunchy comedy in the MCU’s first R-rated film. Jackman nails every facet of Wolverine, delivering his trademark brooding, sarcasm, and rare hilarious moments.

Both actors had serious scenes, and surprisingly, Reynolds was the most convincing, tapping into the empathy fans have developed for Deadpool over the course of the first two films and looking inward, delivering an emotional performance alongside his on-screen partner Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). After two films full of Deadpool-like mischief, he finally seems ready to find a purpose for his powers.

The two actors brought their commitment to the stage, giving audiences some of the most exciting fight scenes they’ve seen in years, with the best ironically being between the two. Jackman’s roles in The Greatest Showman and The Music Man clearly honed his dancing skills and sharpened his ability to follow fight choreography. The fights were agile, fast-paced and incredibly bloody – likely due to the fancy new Disney budget for Deadpool.

Recently, fans have complained that the battles in recent Marvel films are not as exciting because of the excessive use of unconvincing CGI effects that overwhelm the audience. But here, thanks in part to the production budget of around $200 million, the effects were convincing and the film offered more action than the average Marvel film.

The overall storytelling was above average, but not exceptional. It felt like Levy’s intention was to honor Marvel’s 20th Century Fox characters rather than focus entirely on the plot. Without giving away the cameos, the film evokes a similar nostalgia to Spiderman: No Way Home, when all the previous Spiderman cast members returned. But even if a fan doesn’t follow the goings-on of the MCU or X-Men religiously, the film is still worth watching. As usual, fans should stick around until the end credits scene to get the most out of the experience.

Levy underscores the many cameos with the unoriginal and somewhat hackneyed premise of “this Marvel character takes on the multiverse.” Although the concept is more succinct in this feature compared to other recent Marvel productions, fans should watch Season 1 of “Loki” to avoid a lot of unnecessary confusion.

Although the multiverse contains infinite possibilities, Marvel seems to limit itself to a similar cliche every time – a major villain threatens to destroy the “space-time continuum” and a ragtag group of variants must rise to the challenge and defeat them. Deadpool said it best near the end of the film. “Marvel, can we be done with the whole multiverse thing?”

Marvel’s Deadpool and Wolverine is nearly perfect. The story is good, but the character portrayal is what really stands out. Reynolds and Jackman have delivered the perfect blend of action, comedy, and drama that would bring tears to the eyes of any Marvel fan. The film delivers the quality that so many have been looking for in the years since Phase 4 began. This is a must-see film in theaters, and experiencing every joke and surprise cameo with the audience makes it even better to watch.